Published Aug 29, 2026 | 10:19 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 29, 2026 | 12:39 PM
When CM Satheesan was stopped by his own party men.
Police have registered a case against District Congress Committee member Chenthi Anil and others in connection with an alleged incident of misbehaviour involving Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan at Chenthi in Thiruvananthapuram.
Anil, who is also the patron of the Chenthi Sree Narayana Cultural Centre Charitable Society, was taken into custody late Friday night and was formally arrested at the Sreekaryam police station on Saturday, police said.
The remand report alleges that the accused stopped the vehicle with the intention of obstructing the Chief Minister.
It further alleges that Anil threatened the CM in public.
Police have also alleged that the accused obstructed the Chief Minister and police personnel accompanying him from carrying out their official duties.
The case was registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation and using assault or criminal force to obstruct a public servant in the discharge of duty.
The FIR also mentions other persons who have been identified in connection with the incident.
The incident occurred when Satheesan was on his way to attend a Sree Narayana Guru Jayanti programme at Chempazhanthy.
The Chief Minister’s security personnel subsequently intervened and pushed the protesters away from the vehicle.
A controversy has also erupted over allegations that the CM’s security personnel shoved senior Congress leader and former MP N Peethambara Kurup, who was among the group when the CM’s convoy was stopped.
The Chenthi programme was reportedly not included in the Chief Minister’s official schedule.
Police registered the case after recording the statement of a Grade SI who was present at the venue.
This followed a direction from the City Police Commissioner after the incident triggered controversy.
The organisers later abandoned the public meeting to lodge their protest against Satheesan not inaugurating the programme.
Anil, however, disputed the allegations.
He said Satheesan had assured him that he would attend the programme and that arrangements, including security, had been made based on instructions from police officials.
He said the organisers were unaware of why the Chief Minister did not attend the function and that activists had stopped the vehicle only because they were eager to participate in the Chief Minister’s programme.
Anil also alleged that the Chief Minister’s conduct had upset the organisers, prompting them to abandon the public meeting.
The Congress on Saturday afternoon suspended DCC member Chenthi Anil from the party’s primary membership.
The police, in their remand report, stated that Anil is included in the police rowdy list and has several cases registered against him at the Sreekaryam, Thumba and Medical College police stations.
The suspension comes amid growing political pressure on the Congress following the incident.
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(With inputs from Dileep V Kumar.)
